Long calls

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The Glaucous-winged Gull is an abundant resident along the northwestern coast of North America, where its bold nature and omnivorous food habits make it a familiar sight in coastal cities and towns. Although generally an inshore species, it does venture away from the coast where it is often seen around fishing vessels at sea. This species has steadily increased in numbers in the last few decades, particularly around urban centers, owing mainly to environmental changes and to the availability of garbage and fish offal.

This gull generally nests at high densities in large or small colonies on offshore islands, although it has recently begun nesting on roofs of waterfront buildings. Individuals form apparently monogamous pairs, which usually stay together for several years; small nesting territories within the colony are defended vigorously and noisily against neighboring pairs. Each pair can produce up to three young in a season. This species hybridizes with Western Gulls (L. occidentalis) in the southern part of its breeding range, in northern Oregon and Washington, and with Herring Gulls (L. argentatus) and Glaucous Gulls (L. hyperboreus) in Alaska. The resulting hybrids are often difficult to identify.